Posts Tagged ‘times’

Do you remember spending just $25 a month on your phone bill? For that matter, do you remember when your “landline” was your main telecommunications expense? By 2004, according to data from the Census Bureau, the average American spent $770.95 annually on services such as cable television, Internet connectivity, and video games. By the end of 2008, that figure rose to $903. By the end of this year, the figure could reach $997.07. The government figures do not even include movies, music and television shows bought through iTunes, cellphone service, or data plans bought in addition to that service with the purchase of smartphones. Read more…

Do you think that the subscriptions and services for entertainment and communications have reached parity and became indispensable necessities of life such as electricity, water, and groceries? Do you think you could live without such forms of entertainment or telecommunications, even for one day?

The Philippines has seen a steady increase in violence in karaoke bars across the country over the last few years over, of all things, peoples’ renditions of Frank Sinatra’s version of “My Way”. New York Times wondered if “the killings [are] the natural byproduct of the country’s culture of violence, drinking and machismo” or if the song contained “something inherently sinister”. Whatever the reason, many karaoke bars have taken drastic action and removed the song from the songbooks. Karaoke bar regulars, in turn, have shunned the song and refuse to sing it for fear of sparking new violence. Some songwriters have noted that the song’s lyrics imply arrogance almost never observed in the country’s social norms. Locals, however, point out that Filipinos take karaoke and singing very seriously and are quick to show their displeasure if a person is even slightly off-key. Read more…

Hulu, a video website that offered free online viewing of popular TV shows, may soon start charging fees after distributing TV shows and movies over the Internet without charge for almost two years. One plan being considered would allow users to view the five most recent episodes of a TV show but require a subscription of $4.99 a month to watch older episodes afterwards. Hulu admits that the most difficult obstacle is to make people pay for online content they have long received for free. Read more…